Smoker&#39;s kit for automobiles



Dec. 29, 1925- T. T. BOOKMAN SMOKERS KIT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov, 11, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 grvua'ntoz T ookma n Guam;

Dec. 29 1925' Filed Nov. 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnoentoz I Patented Dec. 2951 925. 1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS T. BOOKM AN, OF BLA'NEY, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SMQKERS KIT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Applicationfiled November 11, 1924. Serial No. 749,239.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS T. Boom .means whereby the operator of ajmotor vehicle will have within convenient reach cigars or cigarettes so that, if he desires to smoke, he may. readily gratify the desire. Another object of the invention is to provide a container for cigars, cigarettes and the like which will protectthe articles from injury or breakage due to vibration of the vehicle and will permit ready access to. them when their use is desired, and another ob- 'ject of the invention is to provide means whereby the container may be easily adjust'- ed to the inclination of a steering post and supported ina horizontal position, still other objects of the-invention being to provide means whereby the lid or cover of the container maybe easily supported in open position and also to provide means whereby scattering and loss of matches Willibe prevented. These objects, and other objects which will incidentally hereinafter appear, are attained in the use of such a mechanism as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a steering post having my device mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a front, elevation of the device removed from the steering post and in opened position;

Fig. 8 is a central section through the device taken in a longitudinal plane of the steering post, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device and its mounting.

' The steering post, a portion of which is indicated at 1, may beof any well-known or approved form. In carrying out my inthebody. In the application of the device 7 a to a steerin post, the parts are arranged so that the hinges will be at the front side of the apparatus and the spring latch at the rear side thereof, the operator being thus enabled to open the container whenever he desires without leaving his seat or being reuired'to assume an awkward or uncomfortable position. Upon the front side of the body member of the container is a stop or rest 7 which projects forwardly from the body adjacent its upper edge so as to support the lid in open position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. To the under side of the body 2 at the center thereof, I secure the upper member 8 of asupporting bracket and saidbracket consists essentially of two arms or members arranged at an acute angle to each other so that the lower member 9 will assume an inclined position relative to the upper member and may, therefore, be easily brought into proper posi tion to extend along a steering post. The supporting bracket is preferably constructed of. resilient metal so that the upper member may bend or flex at the angle 10 and thereby be adjusted so that-it will assume a horizontal position notwithstanding the obliquity or inclination of the steering post upon which the device is mounted. It will also be noted that the upper member of the supporting bracket is formed with a shoulder 11 adjacent the joint 10 which serves as a guide when assembling the parts. The

. forward end of the upper member 8 of the supporting bracket is formed into an eye or transverse sleeve 12 in which is engaged the upper end or shoulder of a bail 13, the

side members of said bail bein'g resilient and terminating at their lower ends in inwardly projecting hooks 14 adapted to engage under the lower member 9 of the bracket. The said lower member is provided at. intervals in its side edges with notches 15 adapted to receive the side members ofthe bail 13, as shown most clearly in Fig- 4:, and a locking sleeve or collar 16 is slidably mounted. upon the bail so that,

if the said collar or sleeve be slid along the bail toward-the lower end thereof, the hooks 14 will be caused to move toward each other under the arm 9 of the supporting bracket and the side members of the bail therewith. The device may thus be easily rendered unfit for use.

adjusted so that the upper member 8 of; the bracket will be disposed in a horizontal plane. To secure the device in position upon the steering collar, I provide a pad or saddle 17 which is preferably of leather so that it may be readily shaped to. conform to the post and will be durable but will not. mar the finish of the steering post This pad or saddle is properly shaped to fit over and partly around the steering post and is equipped at its upper and lower ends atone side with straps 18' adapted to encircle the post and be fastened by bolts 19 to securely clamp the pad or saddle upon the post. The lower member 9 of the supporting bracket is firmly attached to the saddle by rivets or equivalent elements 20 inserted through its ends and the saddle, as clearly shown in the drawings, the intermediate portion of the said member 9 being free of the saddle so asto accommodate the hooks 14 of the adjusting and locking bail 13. It will thus be seen. that, while the said hooks may be readily moved along the arm 9 in adjusting the device, they will be held out of contact with the steering column so that they will not exert any wear thereon and will not mar the finish thereof.

As clearly shown in the drawings, the body member 2 and the lid or cover 3 of the container are of like dimensions and the body member is preferably provided upon its inner faces with a rim 21 projecting slightly above its upper edge whereby to center the cover and cause the same to register accurately with the body in closed position. Adjacent one end of the body, a partition 22 is secured across the same, thereby dividing the interior of the body into a large chamber 23 which may be utilized to carry cigars and a smaller chamber 24 which may carry chewing gum or some other or similar commodity, the partition being constructed with a notch 25 in its upper portion to facilitate the removal of whatever may be placed in the smaller compartment. Along the forward or hinged side of the cover is secured a holding-block 26 having cells 27 formed therein to receive cigarettes, as indicated at 28, the cigarettes being thus carried so that they will be readily accessible but will be prevented from rolling about in the container and so being The said holding block 26 terminates short of one end of the lid or cover and at the said end is pro vided a match carrier 29 which may be con veniently a solid block of wood or other material having cells 30 formed therein to receive matches, as indicated at 31. A guard 32 is provided to extend over and across the heads of the matches when the device is closed so that the matches will be retained in the cells 30 as the cover is raised or lowered. This guard may conveniently be a light metal plate of suitable dimensions and carried by an arm 33 pivoted to the side of the match holder 29, as shown at 34. The

container the guard will be swung into position over the heads of the matchesand it will then prevent the matches sliding out of the wcells 30 as the cover is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3. The reference numeral 35 indicates a scratching surface provided upon one end of the body so that .the user may easily light a match.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, compact and inexpensive device which may be readily mounted -upon the steering column of a motor vehicle Within convenient reach of the operator and by the use of which cigars, cigarettes or other commodities may be carried and protected from in ury.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A device for the purpose set forth com prising a container consisting of a body and a lid hinged to the body, means for securing the container upon the steering column of a motor vehicle, a match holder secured in the cover, and a guard .pivoted upon the side of said match holder and adapted to extend across the ends of matches therein to retain them normally in the holder.

2. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a container consisting of a body member and a cover hinged to the body member, means secured, to the body member for mounting the same upon the steering column of a motor vehicle, a. holding block in the said cover provided with a plurality of cells, a match holder in the cover at the end of the said holding block, and a partition in the body member dividing the same into article-receiving compartments.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THOMAS T. BOOKMAN. a s.] 

